


Hook Hands Make For Awful Penmanship

by hollyand



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Epistolary, F/F, Fluff, Love Letters, Post-Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-20 06:59:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8240237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollyand/pseuds/hollyand
Summary: In the aftermath of the destruction of Kirkwall’s Chantry, Merrill stays to help the alienage elves rebuild and Isabela returns to the high seas, but they always find one another when Isabela inevitably returns. Snippets of Isabela and Merrill's relationship, post-DA2, in letters.(I can’t resist an epistolary fic prompt, especially with a pairing I like.)





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [coaldustcanary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coaldustcanary/gifts).



> Title comes from a Merrill/Isabela party banter line that occurs in Act 3 of DA2.
> 
> Giftee also asked for the following: " _Yes please: Making a relationship work over time and distance, epistolary (letters) fic welcome. Would prefer that if Hawke is referenced, it be a purple rogue F!Hawke who romanced and ran off with Anders, but also OK with Hawke or any other companion being barely mentioned._ " 
> 
> I wasn't able to write this fic until just before the deadline so I had to keep it shorter than I wanted to, but... I hope you like it!

Dear Isabela, 

I miss you! When will you be coming back? I know it’s not been long since we said goodbye – just an hour ago, actually – but it’s always so hard to say goodbye. The elves in the alienage have already been asking me when you’ll be returning, which just makes it harder! I think you’ve become very popular around here. I know the _hahren_ really appreciated your help on your last few days of shore leave.

I know you will want me to keep busy, so I will. There is so much to do here in the alienage after the Chantry was destroyed – Kirkwall is starting to recover, but many of the elves here haven’t. It’s good to know I can help where I can, and I can’t believe I didn’t think of doing this earlier. Hawke helped me with that a bit, although I don’t know where she and Anders are now, but I honestly don’t think I could carry it through without your support. _Ma serannas_.

Anyway. Write back soon! I know you once told me ‘hook hands make for awful penmanship’, but you don’t have hook hands now, do you? Or at least, you didn’t have any when I last saw you, and I would think having hooks for hands would be so inconvenient! It would be really hard for you to do all those dirty things you did to me when you were last here – you are so good with your hands, _ma vhenan_! And I’m rambling again, sorry. I’ll stop now. But please do write soon! 

Lots of love,

Merrill

\-----

Dear Kitten,

Blast it: you mean I can’t use the excuse that I have hook hands to not write to you??? I’m kidding – _of course_ I’ll write to you. And I can’t wait to see you again. I miss you, too, although it’s wonderful being out on the seas again. I just wish you were here with me, chasing that horizon together.

But we will be fine. It will always be you and me. As long as you know that, I will never ask you for anything else.

So the lead I was following in Antiva turned out to be a bust – but I got to meet up with Zevran again, remember him? The Crows are _still_ after him, after all these years – but every time they send another man after him, he kills them and escapes just like he always does. I can’t believe they are doing such a bad job! Zevran was always a piss-poor shot. He’s doing well on _The Siren’s Call_ though, buckling down and helping and pulling his weight – I’m impressed! Even managed to seduce some of the crew – Tony came at him, swinging a punch because he didn’t like the look of him; next thing I know Zevran charmed him into his bed, before working his way through the rest of my men. I’m not complaining: I daresay they need the relief.

You don’t need to worry about him and me, though – it’s a fond memory from the past, but I have no desire to resurrect it. He wants to meet you, actually. He apparently ‘can’t wait to meet the woman who I’ve foregone everyone else for’. I told him to get back to work. Of course.

I received a short letter from Hawke, our brave Champion. Bethany isn’t with her; Hawke thinks her sister might have gone to Starkhaven to try and negotiate with Sebastian Vael, or something. Anyway – she and Anders are well, although they don’t think they will be returning to Kirkwall any time soon. They had to sell Anders’s staff so that they wouldn’t be so conspicuous on the run – although you’ll be pleased to hear Hawke’s still got those damn fine daggers with her, so they’re hardly defenceless. They’ll be fine. I know they will.

I also came across – or raided, I should say – a shipment of timber and steel that I think would be useful for rebuilding the alienage. I’ve redirected it to Kirkwall and addressed it to Aveline. She should be able to get it to you. Let me know if it doesn’t arrive.

And I’ve also included a little present for you. You want to know what else I can do with my hands – well: read the erotic novel I’ve enclosed, and hopefully that’ll give you some ideas of what I’m going to do to you when we next meet…

I will pen off here, my sweet thing. I can’t wait to play with my Kitten again.

Isabela xxx

\-----

 _Ma vhenan_ ,

Thank you so much for your last letter! It brightened my day. Your shipment could not have arrived at a better time – things were starting to look hopeless in the alienage after one of our house rebuilding efforts burned down; it seems Kirkwall still has its fair share of looters and arsonists taking advantage of its vulnerable state.

Aveline has sent extra patrols here at my request, so that has helped. It’s good, because… I know my purpose now (at least for now) is to help the alienage, but it’s hard when my efforts feel like they’re for nothing. But I carry on, because that’s the path I’ve chosen to walk now, and I know it’s all for a good purpose, even if it’s sometimes hard… you understand, don’t you, Isabela? Please say you do. I suppose I just wanted reassurance that I’m doing the right thing, really.

It’s good you got to meet up with Zevran again! And thank you for the reassurance, but you don’t need to put my mind at ease. I trust you, _ma vhenan_. I know what we have is strong.

This will be a shorter letter because I have so much to do today, but I really just wanted to let you know I am thinking about you. I am halfway through reading the novel you sent me, and I can’t wait to see you again. I’ve been thinking about your big hat, too. I understand why you love wearing it: I felt so powerful and sexy when you put it on my head – although not as sexy as you, obviously! – and it was so much fun! Can I wear it in bed again?

I love you.

Merrill

\-----

Kitten,

Of course you’re sexy! And I love you too. I’m glad to hear the shipment helped, and that Aveline has dispatched some of her men to the alienage – it’s about time the Kirkwall guard helped the elves out, for a change. 

And that’s exactly why I wear the hat, sweet thing, although a good pirate captain must always have a swashbuckling hat! Of course you can wear it when you see me again. Rest assured you will not lack for a hat when you’re around me, whether that’s on my ship or when I’m docked in Kirkwall. (Or when I’m docked in you, obviously.) 

Of course I understand, Kitten, and I think you’re doing a wonderful job in the alienage even if it doesn’t feel like it. You have a good heart, and you’re doing so well.

If it makes it easier, I am coming back to Kirkwall much sooner than I expected – not too long from when you receive this letter, in fact. We will be reunited again, darling. And of course you will get to wear my hat in bed!

But trust me, I know what it feels like to have a purpose and feel like you’re failing at it, but you are not. You’ve had a few setbacks, but from what I saw in the alienage when I was last there I really don’t believe they could have improved as much as they have without your help, Kitten. And I’m sure any of the alienage elders would agree.

For me, now, I know I have a purpose. I have you.

I’ll be seeing you again soon, sweet thing. I can't wait.

Love,

Isabela xxx

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hello at [hollyand-writes.tumblr.com](http://hollyand-writes.tumblr.com)!


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